UEFA is not interested in negotiating a European Super League, doubling down on the Premier League’s condemnation of reports that big clubs across Europe had signed onto a new, rich competition set to begin in 2023-24.
The PL had issued an earlier statement tearing apart the concept, including the line that, “Fans of any club across Europe can currently dream that their team may climb to the top. We believe a European Super League would destroy this dream.”
UEFA has released a statement with the support of the Premier League, Serie A, and La Liga as well as the ruling federations of their respective countries.
It criticizes the proposal and says other member federations and leagues are on board, branding a super league as a “cynical project, a project that is founded on the self-interest of a few clubs at a time when society needs solidarity more than ever.”
UEFA thanked the clubs from France and Germany “who have refused to sign up to this” and continues to maintain that it would ban all clubs from participating in domestic, European, and international play, and that players could be denied the chances to play for their national teams.
Here’s UEFA’s full statement:
UEFA, the English Football Association and the Premier League, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and LaLiga, and the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and Lega Serie A have learned that a few English, Spanish and Italian clubs may be planning to announce their creation of a closed, so-called Super League.
If this were to happen, we wish to reiterate that we – UEFA, the English FA, RFEF, FIGC, the Premier League, LaLiga, Lega Serie A, but also FIFA and all our member associations – will remain united in our efforts to stop this cynical project, a project that is founded on the self-interest of a few clubs at a time when society needs solidarity more than ever.
We will consider all measures available to us, at all levels, both judicial and sporting in order to prevent this happening. Football is based on open competitions and sporting merit; it cannot be any other way.
As previously announced by FIFA and the six Federations, the clubs concerned will be banned from playing in any other competition at domestic, European or world level, and their players could be denied the opportunity to represent their national teams.
We thank those clubs in other countries, especially the French and German clubs, who have refused to sign up to this. We call on all lovers of football, supporters and politicians, to join us in fighting against such a project if it were to be announced. This persistent self-interest of a few has been going on for too long. Enough is enough.
It’s just the worst idea. Would the matches be entertaining? Sure! But anyone outside (and some inside) these clubs are already bored by the same old, same old in European play. Rejuvenating it is one thing. Making it a country club is another.
